Dating and social media apps as tools for the search

According to a report in Der Spiegel , Egyptian police are using Grindr to find and arrest gay men. Police create fake profiles to log into the app and then identify potential targets. Once they find someone, they monitor their social media profiles to collect more information about them. According to the Washington Post, Grindr is said to have hundreds of thousands of users in Egypt alone.

The Berliner Zeitung reports that the police in Egypt not only use Grindr, but also other dating apps such as Scruff and Hornet. They also use undercover agents to pick up gay men on the streets. This practice violates human rights and has already led to numerous arrests and convictions.

Police Egypt

Grindr has now reacted and warned its users in Egypt that their profiles could be monitored by the police. In a statement, the company said: "We are aware of the current situation in Egypt and want to ensure that our users are safe and aware that they could be the target of surveillance measures at any time."

It has been brought to our attention that Egyptian police are actively arresting gay, bi and trans people on digital platforms. They use fake accounts and have also taken over accounts of real community members who have already been arrested and had their phones confiscated. Please exercise particular caution both online and offline, even with accounts that have appeared legitimate in the past.

Translation of the warning on Grindr

Persecution of LGBTs has a history in Egypt

The persecution of gay men in Egypt is not a new phenomenon . Homosexuality is illegal in the country and can be punished with up to three years in prison. Conviction rates are high and prison conditions are often inhumane. Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International have repeatedly called on the Egyptian government to change the law and stop the persecution of gay men.

The use of dating apps to pursue gay men is not limited to Egypt. Police in Lebanon and Iraq use similar methods to monitor and arrest gay men. This is an alarming trend that shows that the persecution of gay men is still a major problem in many countries around the world.

It is important that we are aware that the persecution of gay men is still a reality in many countries around the world. We must stand up for the rights of gay men and ensure that they are not discriminated against or persecuted. We must also advocate for the governments of these countries to change the law and stop the persecution of gay men.

Human Rights Watch: Report on Persecuted LGBTs in the Middle East

dealt intensively with the topic in the 135-page report “All this terror because of a photo” HRW examines the use of digital targeting by security forces and its far-reaching offline consequences - including arbitrary detention and torture - in five countries: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia. The results show how security forces use digital surveillance to collect and create evidence for law enforcement.

In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, LGBT people are increasingly threatened by surveillance and persecution by government authorities and conservative groups. In countries such as Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia, authorities use social media platforms to track and arrest LGBT people. Conservative groups and individuals use social media to out, harass, and occasionally even attack LGBT people. Additionally, some countries, such as Iran and Algeria, have passed laws prohibiting LGBT people from living and working publicly.

Most countries in the MENA region have laws that prohibit homosexuality and classify it as a criminal offense. These laws are often used to discriminate and persecute LGBT people. In some countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, homosexuals are even publicly executed. Additionally, there are many conservative groups and individuals in the region who discriminate against and harass LGBT people.

Human rights organizations are calling on governments in the MENA region to protect the rights of LGBT people and stop the persecution of LGBT people. They also call on governments to enact laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Human rights organizations are also calling on social media companies like Facebook and Twitter to take action to protect LGBT people from surveillance and persecution.

Overall, the persecution of gay men in Egypt and other countries is an alarming trend that concerns us all. It is important that we work to protect LGBT rights and stop the persecution of gay men. We cannot allow this persecution to continue.


Sources: Grindr , Spiegel , Washington Post , Berliner Zeitung , Aljazeera , gay.ch , Human Rights Watch , Amnesty International

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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )